If you're going to camp out for a hot-ticket item, it's a good idea to go straight to the source. That was the plan for hundreds of gamers this past weekend as they headed to the Nintendo World Store in New York City, seeking to be among the first owners of Nintendo's new tablet-toting console, the Wii U.
I was among them. Not as a member of the media, reporting on the spectacle of Nintendo's 6-hour launch party in Rockefeller Center, but as a fan, just trying to get his hands on a Wii U of his own. I braved long lines and cold weather to become an early adopter, but why not kill two birds with one stone and share the experience? What follows is a blow-by-blow accounting of one of gaming's most iconic rituals: the midnight console launch.
9:45 AM - Saturday, November 17th 2012: Having trouble deciding where to go Wii U hunting later that night, I give the Nintendo World Store a call to see how their line is shaping up. After all, the promise of entertainment, swag, and special guests is much more appealing than a nap on chilled concrete outside my local Target. The news is not good. The man on the other line says the crowd is growing fast, and that I should arrive by 11:00AM.
11:05 AM: After setting a land speed record for travel from my NJ suburb to downtown Manhattan, I arrive at the Nintendo World Store armed only with a hastily packed bag of supplies, my smartphone, and a 3DS for entertainment. Right off the bat, the first person I introduce myself to has the most interesting story of the night. After having traveled from Ecuador to NYC on a business trip, this gentleman has blown off work for the day to purchase a Wii U instead. He claims the system would cost him a thousand dollars back home, so I don't blame him. That's dedication.
11:20 AM: The queue behind me has filled up with friendly like-minded gamers. It's good to be around your own kind. Line waiting paranoia questions have set in and dominate the early chit-chat: "How many units do you think they have?" "Has anyone counted the line in front of us?" Some gamers walking the line to collect 3DS StreetPass tags are of some assistance, providing some shaky intel on both figures and re-assuring us that we'll all get Wii Us.
Speaking of 3DS StreetPass, the thing is blowing up. Earlier in the year, my daughter had surgery and I walked the halls of a children's hospital with my 3DS in my bag. Somehow, I did not ever once tag another 3DS player (horrible parents). Today? My Mii Plaza gate is under an assault the likes of which it has not seen since the last Penny Arcade Expo.
12:40 PM: My hasty packing job means I ran with whatever games happened to be in my DS case. Today's entertainment? Hotel Dusk: Room 215, a murder mystery adventure game with a complex plot that I have not advanced in over a year. I stumble around aimlessly in-game trying to remember what exactly I'm supposed to be doing.
1:12 PM: Wristbanded! This means I'm guaranteed a console, and more importantly, the ability to (briefly) leave the line without fear. The Nintendo World Store staff working the line are all sporting sharp-looking Wii U track jackets. Everyone in line wants one, but they're only available to staff. People immediately begin asking how to get a job at the Nintendo World Store.
4:08 PM: My section of line has banded together as a loosely-formed posse of 7. As the afternoon drags on, conversation has shifted to speculation on how much Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime could bench press to whether Waluigi should ever be left in a room alone with small children.
6:00 PM: The line begins filtering into Rockefeller Plaza. The man on the phone this morning wasn't kidding: my group is the last let through the gates before the launch party area is capped off. As each person enters, they are handed a Mii mask, a Wii U foam glowstick, and a knit Wii U hat. There is much rejoicing.
7:20 PM: Some impressively-detailed mascot costume versions of Mario and Luigi show up to entertain the line. Their appearance segues into a costume contest, where the best dressed little kid of the night (wearing a spot-on Propeller Mario costume) serves as the final judge over five contestants. Ultimately a Red Star Mario (from Super Mario Galaxy) edges out a Link cosplayer. The prize is a 3DS game of his choice.
7:45 PM: A Wii U-themed food truck, which pulled up around 4:00 PM, opens shop and promptly begins handing out grilled cheese and hot apple cider. This is much appreciated.
8:05 PM: Reggie Fils-Aime presides over his subjects from the Nintendo World Store's second story windows. This garners the loudest applause of the night so far.
8:30 PM: Swag round two begins, as each person gets a bag containing, among other small things, Just Dance 4 sunglasses, a Tekken Tag Tournament beach ball, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit ears to celebrate Epic Mickey 2. This leads to a moment where everyone in the crowd is wearing sunglasses at night while sporting rabbit ears and hitting beach balls. Only in New York.
9:00 PM: Word is that the line extends all the way down 48th street, up 6th ave, and doubles back most of the way down 49th street. The staff asks the launch party crowd to condense so they can let another batch of line waiters enter for the home stretch.
9:26 PM: A small army of life-size Mii characters parades around Rockefeller Center and 48th street. As such, another contest is held, this time to find the person with the most Miis in their 3DS plaza. One man has over three thousand, a staggering amount that gets him a free 3DS game and the promise of meeting Reggie.
10:00 PM: After much hyping since 6:00 PM, Reggie takes the stage to deliver a rather short and generic speech to the cold crowd. Yes we are all excited. To his credit, he stays around for a long time, making his way through the line to shake hands and sign autographs. I am somewhat surprised by the amount of people who had 8 1/2" x 11" headshots of Reggie on hand just for just the occasion.
10:30 PM: The cold really begins to set in. Aside from a group photo and a grilled cheese restock, it's back to plodding forward in Hotel Dusk. The once fast-ticking clock begins slowing to a crawl.
12:00 AM - Sunday, November 19th 2012: The cold spell is broken by celebration as Isaiah TriForce Johnson is the first person to purchase a Wii U, rung up by Reggie Fils-Aime, who is now ceremoniously on cashier duty. The line begins to shift forwards and...
12:48 AM:...we enter the store. The heat is a welcome change. While waiting in line inside, it's good to see that Nintendo is pushing some of its quirkier titles with video demos. Tank! Tank! Tank! and The Wonderful 101 are both on steady rotation. The chiptune music that fills the store is also a much-welcome change from the launch party DJ.
1:22 AM: The trek back to NJ begins, Wii U safely in hand. Of course, I'll be too tired to hook it up when I get home. I'm getting too old for this stuff.
So was it worth the effort to obtain my Wii U? Yes.
Until push came to shove, I didn't even know whether or not I truly wanted a Wii U. Nint endo's new tablet-toting console comes with a tough sales pitch, but in true GeekDad fashion, there was one factor that tipped me over the edge: my family. It started two weeks back, when my wife picked up a GamePad at a demo kiosk. She came away impressed, immediately putting a bug in my ear about both her desire to play and the potential to have other friends and couples over for local multiplayer.
The topic of our daughter also came up. Approaching two years old, this next 6+ year console generation is going to cut right through her formative gaming years, and I'm not about to let her grow up playing games on the iPad. Those kids can get off my lawn in a hurry. There was no other choice but to bring Nintendo's latest and greatest offering into the house, and attempt to share our love of Mario, Luigi, and friends.
In my house, similar to that of most adult gamers, there is a teetering mountain of DVD cases: the backlog. With the responsibilities of life pushing gaming down the priority list, I've got enough unplayed modern classics to last me halfway to retirement. How could I justify spending hundreds more dollars on more videogames? It's because the Wii U, both during the excitement of launch and in its latter years, will give me a chance to play side-by-side with those who matter most: my friends and family.
Those other games can wait; this is one GeekDad with no regrets.
